Chapter 9: But Now I Tell A Single Truth

It was a stupid idea. A profoundly, incredibly, unbelievably stupid idea.

But Valerie had always been a little too reckless. A little too quick to act. It was one of those traits that made her a good ghost hunter, to be able to act quickly and without hesitation.

Nevertheless, going out looking for Phantom was a stupid idea. Sure, the ghost always insisted that he was a good ghost, that he didn't want to fight her. And the whole situation with the body that the police found in the woods was just too bizarre, had caught her attention even before the rumors that had captivated Casper High.

But, even if it likely involved ghosts, and even if Phantom knew anything about it… How likely was it that the ghost would talk to her about it?

Hell, the ghost only ever seemed to show up to fight other ghosts, and usually fled the moment he saw her. How was she even going to talk with him in the first place? Let alone bring up sketchy topics like this one? She could just imagine flying up to him while he was distracted, approaching him before going "hey, you know anything about that dead body in the woods?" Nah, he would probably just think that she was blaming him.

Which, to be fair, she probably would've. She still wasn't sure about Phantom, about his goals and methods. But it seemed that the body predated Phantom's stay in the city, and while he could have killed that person before anyone had ever seen him… It didn't seem like his MO.

Besides, if Phantom was secretly a killer, well. He probably would've killed more people since then, no? Especially now, while the majority of Amity celebrated him as a hero who can do no wrong. Hell, he could probably blame it on another ghost and most people would believe him.

So no, Valerie didn't think Phantom was responsible for this. But still, it likely involved ghosts, so Phantom might know more. At the very least, he might've gotten curious and spied on the police. He certainly could've done so more easily than Valerie, thanks to his innate ability to turn invisible.

Which had led to her current plan of finding Phantom and talking with him. Which was more easily said than done. Really, she should've realized so sooner, but, well. She wasn't always the best at planning ahead.

Finally, however, a stroke of good luck happened upon her. Her ghostly scanner went off, alerting her to a fairly weak ghost nearby. And then, almost immediately, a second ghost appeared right next to the first. Valerie had already turned her hoverboard into the right direction before she checked the signatures of the ghosts. Her scanner told her what she had already expected: the Box Ghost and Phantom.

She sped over there, making it just in time to see Phantom cap his thermos and hook it on his belt. She forcibly relaxed her posture, to make herself look less threatening. And then she called over to him.

"Hey, Phantom!"

The ghost started, whirling around faster than humanly possible. When he saw her, he tensed up. Against her expectations, however, he made no move to leave. Instead, he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Hey Red… No weapons today?"

"Nah," she answered, leaning back a little in the hopes of looking casual. If he saw her nerves and struck… Well, her new suit might respond to her thoughts, but summoning a weapon still takes time. "Actually, I was hoping that we could… talk?"

"Huh?" was his eloquent response, as Phantom dropped his tense posture again. His eyes had gone big, mouth hanging open slightly. Really, a picture-perfect depiction of bafflement. "Really? After 2 years of non-stop hunting, you want to talk? About what, exactly?"

"About that corpse the police found in the woods. I'm pretty sure it's got something to do with ghosts, which means that you probably know more about it, no?"

Phantom tensed up again, slightly. He crossed his arms over his chest, eyes guarded. Uh oh, looks like she messed up somehow. Did he think she was blaming him?

"And you're what, blaming me?" Yep, he definitely thought she was blaming him.

"No," she said, voice straining as she tried to keep herself from snapping at him. "But you do know a lot about ghosts. More than me, at least, and probably more than the Fentons."

"Oh," was all he offered in return. His glare had softened slightly, more calculative and thoughtful now. "I guess you have a good point there. And you're right."

"About?" She was right! Her hunch was correct! She wasn't quite sure what about, yet, but she would find out. For now, she would take this win.

"Well, about both of those things, I guess." Phantom shrugged at her. "I do know more about ghosts than anyone else in this town. But I meant that you were right about suspecting a ghostly element."

Valerie grinned, not that Phantom could see it while she was wearing her helmet. This whole thing was going way better than planned! "So, was a ghost responsible?"

"Uh, well," Phantom spluttered, before snapping his mouth shut. He shifted around a little, and Valerie tensed up, expecting him to suddenly shoot off.

But then Phantom settled down again, raising his hand to scratch the back of his neck. "I kinda… can't tell you?"

"What?" Valerie snapped. Was this ghost for real? "Why not?"

"I, uh. I told the police everything I knew about the situation, helped them out a little, you know? So I'm not allowed to talk about the uh, the whole thing." He was still rubbing the back of his neck, a green blush creeping up. Oh lord, he was serious about this? Must be, because you can't fake embarrassment like that, not even as a ghost.

"So… there's nothing you can tell me?" She fought to keep the longing out of her voice, but couldn't stop the frustration from seeping through instead. She was so close!

"No. Sorry, Red." And he looked genuinely sorry, damn him! He dropped the hand again, giving her a sheepish smile instead. Unbelievable! The bastard always found a way to make her life hell, without even trying!

But she couldn't deny that he had a point, if he wasn't lying about this. And he didn't seem to be, despite ghosts being prone to doing so.

So she sighed. "That's fine, I guess. Can't be helped."

"I really am sorry," he reiterated, moving slightly closer to her, as if he wanted to console her. "For all it matters, I really do appreciate you coming to me to talk, instead of, I dunno. Trying to shoot the information out of me."

"For all the good it did me," she grumbled, but she had to admit, Phantom had a point. It had been pretty nice to just… talk with him. And he really was right, he likely knew more about ghosts than she did. Knowledge she could use to hunt other ghosts, more dangerous ghosts.

But he was still a random element, a potential danger just lurking around. She couldn't trust him.

"I'll see you around, Phantom. Don't cause any trouble." She pointed at her eyes and then him, a movement clearly recognizable as the 'I'm watching you' gesture, despite the fact that she was wearing a helmet. And then she turned around and flew off.

So, she hadn't learned everything that she had hoped to. But now she did know that ghosts were involved. And that, in turn, gave the rumors of Casper High just that bit of proof that they needed.

She didn't want the rumors to be true, of course. Danny Fenton was a sweet boy. Hell, she had even dated him for a while!

But the rumors weren't based on nothing. There was already a surprising amount of proof gathered, and, well. Valerie had the means of confirming the rumor. No matter how little she wanted it to be true.

And sure, there were things that didn't make sense about it. After all, Danny's parents were ghost hunters! Surely they couldn't have a ghost for a son?

But, well. The Fentons aren't great ghost hunters, at all. So she wouldn't be surprised to learn that they had a ghost living under their roof without ever knowing.

So, no, there was nothing concrete to strike the rumor down. Nothing to prove it wrong. So Valerie had to figure it out herself. Find the evidence she needed.

Now she just had to wait until the right moment to strike.

And, that Monday, Valerie saw the opportunity she was waiting for. It was lunch, the hallways were deserted, and she had just returned from a ghost fight. She wasn't expecting to run into anybody, let alone the guy that she was hoping to talk to.

But there he was, alone in the hallways. Danny Fenton, for once without Sam or Tucker by his side.

It was not only the perfect opportunity, but one that she wouldn't get again. Sure, she wasn't sure why Danny was alone in the corridors of the school, without his friends by his side, but it didn't matter. She had more important questions to answer.

She pulled out a ghost scanner, an old one from her first suit. It might not be quite as good as her current one, but it wasn't recognizable as belonging to the Red Huntress. And, while it might not be able to read ecto-signatures, she just needed to tell if Danny was a ghost or not.

Twisting the dial to the highest sensitivity, she saw a dot light up on the display. Located right where Danny was standing.

She straightened out her posture, squaring her shoulders in an attempt to make her look more confident than she felt. And then she stepped forward, approaching the boy she liked. The one person she still considered a close friend.

The boy that had probably been a ghost the whole time.

"Hey, Danny!"

The boy in question jerked, visibly startled by the sudden call. With a loud thump the backpack in his hands dropped to the floor, a metallic clang emitting from it.

When he turned around and saw Valerie, he relaxed again, a relieved grin on his face. "Oh, hey Val. Wasn't, uh, expecting to see anyone here."

"Yeah, same," she admitted. The ghost scanner was pressed against her leg, its display hidden from the boy in front of her. "Kinda convenient, though. I kinda… needed to talk to you."

"Oh?" God, he looked so innocent, with those big blue eyes. Even if he was a ghost, and he probably was, she couldn't imagine him hurting anyone. "What about?"

Uh oh, she hadn't thought of a good way to bring up this topic… Dammit, Valerie, she cursed herself, should've thought ahead for once. When will you learn?

"It's… about those rumors going around."

"Oh, those," he grumbled, as he crouched to pick up his backpack. "Surely you don't believe stupid rumors like that? I mean, can you imagine that? Me, a ghost?" He barked out a laugh, sharp and cutting.

Valerie hummed in response. "Kinda do, actually."

Danny stiffened, still crouched. Then he turned to look at her, a frown on his face. "Really? Why?"

"Well," she started, as she turned the ghost scanner in her hand so that Danny could see its display. "This is kinda convincing."

The boy grabbed it out of her hand, and she let him. Danny looked it over for a moment. Then he sighed, shoulders drooping. "Guess I should've known that you would figure it out."

"So… You are?" She paused, before speaking again. "A ghost, I mean?"

"Yeah," he sighed, finally standing up again, backpack in his hands. "Since the start of freshman year."

She knew already, of course. But to hear him admitting it… It made it more real, somehow. And it didn't help that this was someone she knew.

Because, sure, ghosts are dead people. Everyone knows that. But you don't really think about it, not as a ghost hunter. Then they're just enemies, powerful beings from a different dimension.

Not this kid that you've known for years. Who still lives with his parents. Who went out of his way to befriend you, after you lost your old 'friends'.

"So, now what?" Danny asked, and Valerie snapped back to reality.

"What do you mean?" she asked, eloquently. Smooth, Valerie, she chided herself.

Danny rolled his eyes, swinging his backpack around so it hung off of his shoulder. "What comes now? What are you going to do next?" He offered her the ghost scanner.

Valerie frowned at him, taking the gadget back. "You mean… because of our friendship? You're worried that I won't be friends anymore?"

He snorted. "Honestly, Val, you ending our friendship is one of the least scary things you could do to me."

"Yeah," she agreed, before her thoughts ground to a halt. Wait a minute, what did he mean by that? Because, sure, he was right. As a ghost hunter, she was always carrying around ghost hunting equipment, including weapons.

But he didn't know that, did he?

He must've correctly read her expression, because he shrugged and offered her a sheepish grin. "Yes, I know about your ghost hunting. Have known pretty much from the start."

"What- How?" she bit out. Her suit started buzzing in the back of her head, ready to form to protect her.

Danny, however, simply raised his hand and started rubbing the back of his neck. God, how could he still look so innocent? "You kinda ran into me and Sam in the park, when you first started. We recognized your voice."

He was right. She remembered that. She had encountered Phantom in the park, playing with that stupid dog of his. She had chased him, but he had thrown her off, and instead she came across Danny and Sam kissing in the bushes. She couldn't remember what, exactly, she had said to them. But she knew for a fact that she had spoken to them.

God dammit, how was she this much of an idiot? Spoiling her secret identity so easily, and not even knowing about it? Because if Danny and Sam both knew, then surely Tucker did as well.

She grunted, angrily, resisting the urge to punch the wall she was standing next to.

A cold hand landed on her shoulder, and instinct drove her to swing a punch into its direction.

Danny flinched back, but her fist swung clean through him. The feeling was bizarre, but one she recognized.

He had turned intangible. Like a ghost.

Because he was a ghost. God dammit, more proof she didn't need. Didn't want.

"Hey, calm down. Please?" Danny had his hands raised, as if trying to calm down a wild animal. The thought was kinda ironic to Valerie, that the 'dangerous' ghost was trying to calm down the ghost hunter.

She chuckled at the thought, and Danny offered her a hesitant grin in return.

"Sorry," she finally managed, loosely folding her arms over each other. "I kinda… freaked out on you, didn't I?"

"Eh," he simply answered, shrugging. "That's okay. Totally to be expected, considered the circumstances." Then he looked her over, a somewhat guilty glint in his eyes. "Are you okay now?"

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I think so. I just… I tried so hard to keep it secret, y'know? And now I find out that you've know this whole time. You, and Sam and Tucker… And who knows who else too?"

"Ah." He grimaced. "I know how much that sucks, yeah. But, if it makes you feel any better, we haven't told anybody. Sam, Tucker, and I, that is. And I don't think anybody else knows." He winked at her. "They're not too great at discovering really obvious secrets around here."

She snorted, allowing herself to calm down. He was right. If the people of Amity Park couldn't figure out that Danny was a ghost, then surely they didn't know that she was the Red Huntress.

And as for Danny… Well, he might be a ghost, but he didn't seem to be an evil one. Despite everyone always saying that every ghost was evil… She just couldn't imagine it from Danny.

And yes, sure, he lied. To her, and to everybody else. But he kept her secret too, without her even knowing about it. Hell, he had even dated her, despite knowing that she was a ghost hunter.

No, Danny hadn't done anything wrong. As overwhelming as this all was, as much as she needed time to process everything… She knew that much, at least.

"Danny..." she started, before trailing off. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Danny, thanks for telling me. I- It must've been hard to tell me."

He made a face, but nodded. "Yeah, kinda. Which is why I put it off until I couldn't deny it anymore."

She hummed her agreement. "I'm… gonna need time to- to process this. To work through it." He flinched, and she quickly added, "But I'm not upset! It's just… a little much, you know?"

"Yeah," he sighed. "I get it. I'll leave you alone so you can think." He turned around to walk away, but then stopped. He looked at her again. "But, Valerie. If you ever need to talk, or something… You know where to find me, yeah?"

And then he trotted off, and Valerie was left in the hallway alone with her thoughts.

Title from I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons. This might be one of my favorite chapters in Disinterred, although tbh I'm quite fond of all four upcoming chapters. I guess I'm just very fond of Valerie and her relationship with Danny/Phantom.

I also have not one, but TWO writing related notes! First of all, I posted a one-shot spin-off for Disinterred a couple days ago (Dead Ringer), AND also I'm participating in the Phic Phight. I'll post all the things I write for said Phight on Tumblr, and then after April ends I'll go through them and see how, exactly, I'll upload them to AO3. Might end up chucking them in my one-shot collection, idk. We'll see.
If you want to read them before then, however, they will all be available on my Tumblr (inky-interest).

Also, as a general reminder: Constructive criticism and tips and whatever are very welcome! I'm still super new to writing and English is hard sooooo any help is very welcome. Even just saying what you liked and didn't like would help immensely, tbh. Especially since this is the first time in literally years that I've written + posted a multi-chapter fic.
This is a standard author note that is tagged onto Disinterred as a whole on AO3, but it bears repeating here, as well. I started writing fanfic in October last year, and have, since then, produced roughly 125.000 words of fanfic (not including author notes). Obviously I've improved some over these many, many words, but more improvement is good! Critiques are good!

Next week: Chapter 10 - Now It's Over For Me